CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY: I TRIED TO BE SOMEONE I WASN'T

Summary

Great Company with Jamie Laing: Episode Summary Episode Title: CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY: I TRIED TO BE SOMEONE I WASN'T
Release Date: August 7, 2025
Guest: Chad Michael Murray (Note: Transcript references Dax Shepard; summary based on provided transcript)

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Introduction

In this special episode of Great Company with Jamie Laing, host Jamie Lang and co-host Jemima engage in an engaging and heartfelt conversation with guest Chad Michael Murray. Released strategically on a Friday to coincide with the premiere of the sequel Freakier Friday, the episode promises a blend of nostalgia, personal insights, and reflections on personal and professional growth.

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Release Strategy and Episode Context

Jamie Lang opens the episode by explaining the decision to release it on a Friday, aligning with the movie release to capitalize on the buzz surrounding Freakier Friday. Jamie shares, “We thought a Friday would be a nice day to release this” ([03:07]). This timing not only ties into the movie’s theme but also serves as a special bonus for listeners, deviating from their usual Wednesday releases.

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Connecting Through Nostalgia

The hosts reminisce about Chad Michael Murray’s iconic roles, sparking immediate connections with listeners who may recall his performances in One Tree Hill and Cinderella Story. Jamie notes, “I don't want to be anything other than Gavin DeGraw. His song, it's One Tree Hill” ([03:46]), highlighting the cultural impact of Murray’s characters. Jemima adds her personal touch, mentioning, “I think of him in Cinderella’s story” ([03:57]), underscoring the versatility that made Murray a beloved heartthrob.

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Behind the Scenes of Freakier Friday

Diving into the core of the episode, the conversation shifts to the making of Freakier Friday. Jamie shares their bonding experience with Murray, saying, “We walk on set and it was just a love fest, literal love fest” ([07:49]). Murray echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the familial atmosphere on set: “Everybody hugged each other just a little bit longer because it had been 22, 23 years” ([07:52]). This camaraderie not only enhanced their on-screen chemistry but also deepened their off-screen friendship.

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Struggles with Identity and Imposter Syndrome

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Murray’s personal journey with identity and the pressures of public perception. Jamie poses a crucial question about imposter syndrome: “when you first started out, did you have imposter syndrome?” ([07:52]). Murray candidly responds, “I tried to be something that I wasn't because of the way people classified me” ([08:16]). He delves into the challenges of being typecast, leading him to adopt behaviors and styles that didn’t align with his true self. This struggle highlights the broader issue of personal authenticity in the face of external expectations.

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Embracing Family and Personal Growth

Transitioning from professional challenges to personal life, Murray shares heartfelt reflections on fatherhood and its transformative impact. He passionately states, “There is nothing better... all I ever wanted to do is be a great husband, great dad” ([13:26]). Discussing his three children, he speaks about the joys and responsibilities that come with parenting, including the tough moments that teach selflessness and unconditional love. This segment underscores the profound ways in which family life shapes and grounds an individual.

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Legacy and the Importance of Kindness

The conversation takes a philosophical turn as Murray contemplates the legacy he wishes to leave behind. He articulates a desire to be remembered for his kindness and love: “I just don't care about the other stuff. The only ones that need to approve me are my kids, my wife” ([17:56]). Murray emphasizes daily acts of kindness and the ripple effect they create, aspiring to leave the world a better place through simple, genuine interactions.

Jamie adds to this by referencing a book, “Unreasonable Hospitality,” reinforcing the idea that how we make others feel is more memorable than any material accomplishments. Together, they advocate for a life centered around meaningful and positive human connections.

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Overcoming Challenges and Personal Anecdotes

Murray shares a poignant personal story about his youth, revealing a time when he was seriously ill and hospitalized for two and a half months at age 15. He recounts, “I had to have a second surgery to clean everything up” ([24:05]), highlighting the profound impact this experience had on his faith and his relationship with his father. This harrowing period not only shaped his resilience but also solidified his bonds with family, illustrating the ways in which adversity can lead to personal growth and deeper connections.

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Advice and Life Lessons

Towards the end of the episode, Murray imparts valuable life lessons, focusing on the importance of living in the present and maintaining self-awareness. He shares impactful advice: “Nobody wants to be written on their gravestone” ([32:39]). This statement serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize meaningful actions and relationships over fleeting pursuits or superficial achievements.

Murray emphasizes the significance of personal accountability, urging listeners to “fix it in yourself so that it doesn't get handed down” ([14:20]). This philosophy advocates for self-improvement and conscious effort to prevent negative traits from influencing future generations.

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Jamie and Jemima express their admiration for Murray, thanking him for his openness and insights. The hosts encourage listeners to engage with the show, share their thoughts, and suggest future guests, fostering a community-driven podcast environment.

Murray leaves listeners with a message of hope and continuous self-evolution: “These things take time, they take building. It’s a marathon and ain't a sprint” ([21:18]). His closing remarks encapsulate the episode’s themes of growth, authenticity, and the enduring impact of love and kindness.

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Notable Quotes

• Chad Michael Murray: “I tried to be something that I wasn't because of the way people classified me.” ([08:16])
• Chad Michael Murray: “There is nothing better... all I ever wanted to do is be a great husband, great dad.” ([13:26])
• Chad Michael Murray: “I just don't care about the other stuff. The only ones that need to approve me are my kids, my wife.” ([17:56])
• Chad Michael Murray: “Nobody wants to be written on their gravestone.” ([32:39])
• Chad Michael Murray: “These things take time, they take building. It’s a marathon and ain't a sprint.” ([21:18])

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Great Company with Jamie Laing offers an intimate glimpse into Chad Michael Murray’s life, exploring his journey through fame, personal identity struggles, and the profound influence of family. Listeners are left inspired by his candid reflections and motivated to prioritize authenticity and kindness in their own lives.

For those who haven't listened yet, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and heartwarming stories that resonate on both personal and universal levels.

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Transcript

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[Kristen Bell]

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[Dax Shepard]

We're really doing this huh?

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[Dax Shepard]

Goodbye Truckee.

[Kristen Bell]

Of course we kept the fish favorite hello other Truckee. Sell your car with Carvana Today terms and conditions apply.

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[Jamie Lang]

Hello, everyone. My name is Jamie Lang and this is great company. Well, happy Friday, everyone.

[Jemima]

Happy Friday.

[Jamie Lang]

It's Jemima and Jamie here. Welco. Nice little tune right there from Jamaica.

[Dax Shepard]

You're welcome.

[Jamie Lang]

You are bloody welcome. Today. We normally don't release an episode.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Jamie Lang]

But. But we.

[Dax Shepard]

We are.

[Jamie Lang]

We are. Screw it.

[Jemima]

There you go. Enjoy.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, that's it. You can see from the title, you know who you've got. We wanted to release it on a Friday for lots of different reasons. Firstly, we wanted to get this guest out because the movie they're in has been released. Secondly, the movie that they're in, Freakier Friday, the sequel to Freaky Friday, if you with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan is out, is about Fridays. And we thought a Friday would be a nice day to release this.

[Jemima]

We are really good at coming up with those ideas.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah. So we came up with kind of.

[Jemima]

Great ideas that we come up with.

[Jamie Lang]

So we have Chad Michael Murray on the show.

[Jemima]

Ah, Chad Michael Murray. Okay, how do you know when you think of Chad Michael Murray? Is it. What's the show that you think of him in?

[Jamie Lang]

I don't want to be anything other than Gavin Degrel. His song, it's One Tree Hill. Him playing the. Bouncing the basketball over the bridge. That was my jam in my teens.

[Jemima]

Really? I think of him in Cinderella's story.

[Jamie Lang]

There you go.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Jemima]

Different strokes for different folks.

[Jamie Lang]

Different strokes for different folks.

[Jemima]

But yeah. A heartthrob nonetheless.

[Jamie Lang]

A heartthrob nonetheless. We got time with Chad in a hotel room in London.

[Jemima]

Lucky Jamie and Chad in a hotel room. What happened?

[Jamie Lang]

And we really bonded.

[Jemima]

Really?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah. It was quite interesting. We had around 40 minutes with him, so we didn't have the full two hours that we normally have with our guests. So we had to try and pack a lot in. Just caveating that to make sure it's not the longest of episodes that we normally.

[Jemima]

That's why we're coming out on a Friday. It's not a main ep. It's a little extra bonus.

[Jamie Lang]

It's a little extra bonus for you. So we really, really hope you enjoy it. And it's a big throwback. And also it's great to hear about what the new movie Freaky of Friday was like to record and everything about it. So enjoy this episode with the absolute.

[Jemima]

Heart throb did your heart throb when you went through the door?

[Jamie Lang]

He did, actually.

[Jemima]

Really?

[Jamie Lang]

He's very good looking.

[Jemima]

You know, when you said you really bonded with him, was it like the energy? Was it just like.

[Jamie Lang]

I think because with actors who are doing these types of things, they probably think, okay, it's gonna be another podcast. And I think he realized he actually really enjoyed it. Cause at the end, he did this weird thing where he went, I really enjoyed that, man. I went, oh, thanks, buddy. He went, no, no, seriously, man. I, like, really enjoyed that.

[Jemima]

That's really nice.

[Jamie Lang]

It was very nice of him. So hope you also really enjoy this listening.

[Jemima]

Really enjoy it.

[Jamie Lang]

If you haven't subscribed to the show, please do. And also get in touch via Instagram @GreatCompany podcast or send us an email. GreatCompanySampleProductions. Enjoy this episode of Great Company with Chad Michael Murray.

[Dax Shepard]

We can do. What is that stuff called, when you breathe and make noises?

[Jamie Lang]

Asmr.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, we could do that here.

[Jamie Lang]

Maybe we should just do the whole thing. The whole thing. Just like that with Freaky Friday when the team come back together.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Was that a weird moment when you walk onto set for the first time, or have you. You've been chatting about it and maybe having this conversation, it's not strange. For me, that would be like a strange moment.

[Dax Shepard]

It's incredibly surreal.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

All of it. All of this that we're doing is incredibly surreal. I'm so proud for these women. I'm so honored to be a part of it. I loved watching Lindsay take the next step and the progression of her career and just talent to be able to take it to that next notch. Like, she's so good in this film. Yeah, she's great. She took the next step in the growth of just being an artist. It's insane. I think that has a lot to do with family and having a baby and just that kind of stuff. Like, you really become yourself in those moments, which you're going to see soon. And watching Jamie just be the leader that she's always been. But now myself, being in the industry for so much longer.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Being more comfortable and being able to identify it. Like, when you first come in, you said, all right, guys, don't find out that I'm terrible at this and fire me. Let's not go there.

[Jamie Lang]

Is that what you're basically trying to not let anyone find at the beginning?

[Dax Shepard]

You're trying not to get fired? You know, you're being told, don't screw up the table, read like, they'll get rid of you right after the table read. That's very rare that that would ever happen because they understand that people aren't off book, people aren't performing, people just reading off of a sheet of paper. I now go in, like, ready to go for the most part. Right. And I've gotten more comfortable as I've gotten older, and so I started having fun a little bit in the table reads or wherever anyway. Like, it lets you just be more. Have more bravery, be more courageous in your choices, and have fun. And so we walk on set and it was just a love fest, literal love fest. And I think it comes through in the film. Everybody hugged each other just a little bit longer because it had been 22, 23 years, right?

[Jamie Lang]

Yes, man.

[Dax Shepard]

You just don't know when you're gonna see each other next time.

[Jamie Lang]

You know, when you first started out, did you have imposter syndrome?

[Dax Shepard]

I wouldn't. I. I don't know if I would classify it as imposter syndrome. I think everybody has that to a certain degree. Right.

[Jamie Lang]

So, yeah, I get that.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I identify it that way? I would say I tried to be something that I wasn't because of the way people classified me. Does that make sense?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, that makes total sense. But explain that more. So because you thought people classified you as something, so you thought you had to be something that wasn't actually.

[Dax Shepard]

You exactly nailed it. Nailed it. You know, so people put you in this box, and then you go, okay, I gotta be that guy. But you don't. You're not really that guy. And so you're doing things that you wouldn't particularly normally do out of the way that everybody else sees you or discusses you. And then you look back and you go, who is that? Like, that's not. I'm not that guy. That's not me. Like, I'm pretty jovial. I'm a pretty happy guy. Like, I ride right in the middle of state. I don't need to be.

[Jamie Lang]

Cool.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't need any of that stuff. Wow. And so, you know, you're in your younger 20s and you're starting to find success, and. And you think you get insecure. And so your insecurities lead to A, B, C, D. And then you're just off the. Off the rails. You know what I mean?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, I totally know what you mean. Because what happens is, is because of the. Maybe because of the roles and the Hollywood society and things like that, you're pictured as a certain. This certain character, this certain person, because you Were the heartthrob. And you, you know, you. You. You probably are still this heartthrob for lots different people. Man. Come on. I saw that jawline when you walked in. I saw that. But you were. And so then what comes with that is a lot of pressure to then continue being that outside of the characters as well. Within life.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah. So you do a lot of things differently, you know, And I went through a bunch of different phases. I went through the phase of the insecurity was kicking in. So you look to people who had been there first, you know, and you'd see a photo of, you know, Johnny Depp on the carpet looking cool and be like, okay, well, I can model myself after A, B, C. Right. And I didn't like my smile, so I wouldn't smile. You know, I try to have this, but then you just come off looking completely different than you thought you were. Right. Or you try to dress a certain way because you feel like that's going to stand out. And then you go to a next phase, and the next phase is going opposite of the way everyone sees you. So I grew up this really grizzly beard, and I wanted to be seen in a different light and trying to force. You try to force something. That's not necessarily it. You're an actor. Your job is to perform. And so I heard Bryan Cranston say, you know, that his entire career changed when he stopped going in trying to win a job. Like, oh, I'm gonna beat all these guys. He went in and he just started realizing that this was his opportunity to just show them what kind of an actor he was. All the pressure was off. It wasn't a competition anymore. It was just him going in and doing his thing, and everything changed for him.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And that is the difference between growing a Grizzly Adams beard, looking like a homeless guy, going, I want to be, you know, doing these kind of jobs over there, and then just going in when you have the opportunity and being that guy in the audition, that's performing versus living. So it makes sense.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, it's great. It's always like. There's a great. There's a great poem which is all about how whenever you want. Whenever you want, like a London bus to come, it never. It never rise. But then when you're not thinking about it or caring.

[Dax Shepard]

Everywhere.

[Jamie Lang]

Everywhere, everywhere. Yeah, yeah. It's with everything, it's hard to let go.

[Dax Shepard]

Never gonna find a cab in New York until you don't need one. Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Man, I'm about to have my.

[Dax Shepard]

First kid dude, congrats, man.

[Jamie Lang]

Thanks, brother.

[Dax Shepard]

Greatest thing in the entire world. Nothing better.

[Jamie Lang]

Give me this. So you've got three.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

A roller coaster in the best way.

[Dax Shepard]

I mean, I went back to the well, didn't I?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, you did, right? You did.

[Dax Shepard]

I have 10, eight, and one.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

And we loved it so much the first two times that we went back for number three. I will say, however, she's the last one because she's the toughest. She is. She is. She's busy. We're gonna go with busy. She is just. Oh, my gosh. Just to try to get out of the room right now. She was running around the room following me, singing a song. Die, die, die.

[Jamie Lang]

Man, I. I saw this because I was like, I'm Ing for a long time to have kids, right?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

So I was like. Because it's one of those things, which.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm still pretty young.

[Jamie Lang]

36.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay.

[Jamie Lang]

So you did.

[Dax Shepard]

Wait a hot minute.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah. So I'm getting to that point. And it's just the moisturizer.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm. There you go. You're using that red light therapy when.

[Jamie Lang]

You don't know, man, I get that all over my face. But I was, like, freaking out about, like, kids and stuff like that. And then I saw this kind of cheesy thing on social media, a lot of things. But one of the things that someone said was this quite successful guy talking. They said, what's your best achievement? He was old, he was in his 70s. Said, being called dad.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And I was like, that's the greatest thing.

[Dax Shepard]

There is nothing better. Like, so, you know, I've been really blessed to do so many things, travel the world and do things that people, Most people can only dream of. And if someone said dad or all that, and no question, Dad, 10 out of 10 times.

[Jamie Lang]

Really?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I trade her all on a heartbeat.

[Jamie Lang]

Get out of here.

[Dax Shepard]

It's the greatest thing, your greatest achievement by far. I just. All I ever wanted to do is be a great husband, great dad, and that's where we put our focus. You're gonna love it. It's the greatest. Now, are you gonna lack in sleep? Yeah. Are you gonna start naming your gray hairs after them? Sure. It happens. But it is like, you start learning what real love is. You start learning what true selflessness is.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And. And there's just nothing better. And. Okay, here's the worst part. Yeah. Give it to ready? Here's the worst. They're a mirror reflection. And you've heard this time and time again, they're mirror Reflection. They're a mirror into your soul. So you're going to start seeing things that you can't stand about yourself and their actions. And you're going to go, no, don't do that. What are you doing? Don't do that. But if you couldn't coach it out of yourself, what makes you think you can coach it out of them? So the best advice I can give you.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Is fix it in yourself so that it doesn't get handed down. Let it die with you. That's what they mean by that. You got to let those things, man, I love that. Die with you so that it doesn't carry on to the next.

[Jamie Lang]

So what kind of things do you think that you had to let die with yourself?

[Dax Shepard]

Grew up in a family of boys.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Just my dad, so. Very stubborn upbringing. The word I know, like this. The phrase, I know, I know, I know came out. And all of a sudden, my son started using it. I was like, oh, my gosh, that sounds terrible. And my wife. Where do you think he got it from? I was like, oh, no, we gotta correct that. And so it was immediately to cure and course correct for myself.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Because you're not aware of it. They're blind spots. You really can't see these things that you do. But you see it when your kids do it and you go, guys, it's not a likable trait. You got to fix that. It's. It's better to say, oh, interesting. Oh, that's what I thought. Oh, that's so cool. Or I had heard that there's other ways to say, I know.

[Jamie Lang]

That's great advice.

[Dax Shepard]

It was. It was fascinating.

[Jamie Lang]

With Free Care Friday, by the way. Let's go, man. Freaky. It's unreal. I saw it last night. Yeah, that's freaking good.

[Dax Shepard]

It's so good.

[Jamie Lang]

It's. Dude, it is so good.

[Dax Shepard]

So good.

[Jamie Lang]

And. But that was my era, right? That was like, you know, so Freaky Friday was, like, my time. All those kind of movies and those kind of shows. So then it's one of these scary things that when you make a remake, everyone always goes, oh, what's it gonna be like?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, let's not.

[Jamie Lang]

Let's not this up, right?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, we can curse here. Let's not it up.

[Jamie Lang]

Here we go. Yeah, we can let loose. And I watched it last night, and I watched it by myself in this, like, big cinema room. Manny, it's so good. It's so good. And what I love about the themes in it, right, is like, there's such you'll find this with kids. And this is what I'm worried about with my kids. That's why I want to mention them. There's such a disconnect between generations now because of social media and words and lives and everything. And probably that's always been the case. And what we kind of see in the movie is that when they swap roles, you kind of walk in the shoes of your parents and you understand that everyone is just trying and everyone's just living the same life and we're all doing our best the whole time. It's kind of a beautiful message beyond.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, people often ask, like, you know, who would you want to swap bodies with? Like, and, and. And a lot of times it's like, I'd like to see my great grandkids vision in life, not to just see where the world is. Yeah, that's one way. But to see what type of a legacy you left. And I'm not talking financial or historic. I'm talking about the way that your kids viewed you, that they described you to their kids. Right, because that's going to be the raw version where they're like, you know, my dad was a little rough on me. You know, it was a lot of this. Or, you know, and you want to be. You want to be looked at with love and kindness and you just want, like, when you go, the greatest thing is, oh, man, we lost a good one. Like, we really lost a good human today. So that's one of the angles with this movie is they have the opportunity to see what it's like to live in someone else's shoes in a completely different. We're talking, of course, three generations here. What a completely different world it is from my father to my children. The things that we've had to learn, the things that are no longer acceptable. Right? It's utterly fascinating.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, it's amazing, dude. It's amazing. What kind of legacy do you think you want to leave?

[Dax Shepard]

That guy loved his wife and kids more than anything in the world. That's it.

[Jamie Lang]

So simple.

[Dax Shepard]

That's it. It's all I need. I mean, all the rest of it's just not. It's not, it's not significant. It's not real to me. Right. I do. I wanna. I wanna treat other people with love, kindness, affection. I want to help. I literally want to go out and every day with. Whether it's the simplest gesture of taking a photo or, you know, taking a. Or signing an autograph or saying hello to your grocer in the kindest way. Spreading this light and love that's contagious and infectious and it gets to the next person and then they spread it and they spread it and they spread it and just starting that to leave this world in a better place than you started. How cool would that be if you knew and you were checking in from up above. When you're done, you're looking down, you're like, oh, okay, all right. I just saw the scoreboard. We did okay. You know, like, that'd be cool. What about you?

[Jamie Lang]

Great question, I think. Look, I, I've always believed, right. Like, whenever I got into this industry, my mum said to me, be nice to everyone on the way up because you never know who you meet on the way down. And, and so I've always led with kindness, always. I think that's the most important thing. Because, you know, I, I. There's a great book which you should read if you ever get a chance. It's called Unreasonable Hospitality. It's about. It's about a guy who made the best restaurant in the entire world. But he didn't do it through food. He did it through hospitality. And he says people never remember what you do or what you say. They always remember how you make them feel.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And if you, and if you do that in life, at the end of the day, they're going to say, that guy is. Or that person's a great person. And that's kind of what you want. You want to sit in your rocking chair when you're 90 years old on your porch, and you want, you don't. You're never going to remember what car you drove or what yacht you had or what this or that. No one's gonna care about that. They're going to care whether you're a.

[Dax Shepard]

Good person, a hundred percent. And at the end of the day, two, three generations from now, nobody's gonna remember anything anyway.

[Jamie Lang]

No, they're not.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Unless they just statue everyone in this room the best way you possibly can, just so you can lay your head down and go, it was a good day, dude.

[Jamie Lang]

Maybe they should build statues of us. Then people will remember us.

[Dax Shepard]

Now I'm good. You know what? I see those statues and it's like, okay, all right. Well, they made an impact, and that's really, really cool. And that's great for them. I don't need any of that. I really don't. It's just one of those things. I don't know. I used to when I was younger, Live fast, die hard, which is the.

[Jamie Lang]

Worst piece of advice that was my, that was my Bebo. Do you remember Bebop?

[Dax Shepard]

The hell's bmo?

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, okay. Too bad. It was like Facebook. Before Facebook. Maybe it didn't drift as far as.

[Dax Shepard]

I, I came from a less than financially well off family, so we didn't have the Internet.

[Jamie Lang]

It was like MySpace. My. You could leave quotes. My quote was live fast, die young. Which is the worst idea because you live. Live old and live. Live old and live life slow.

[Dax Shepard]

Like, just chill, enjoy the moment, sit there, you know, I remember hearing Vince Vaughn once say, just like be present. And at first it's such a broad statement, but when you get into the specificities of it and you're like, okay, be present. Like be here right now. Don't be in your head worrying about your grocery list or what you got to do later, what interviews after this or how much time's taken down. Just be here. And I found that overwhelmingly calm because you're like, okay, if I just worry about what's right now, it's gets rid of stress.

[Jamie Lang]

How did you achieve that?

[Dax Shepard]

It's a marathon and ain't a sprint. And that's how you achieve it. When you realize that you're not going to become something that you're not overnight. It's. These things take time, they take building. I all start. I started with a rubber band, a fantastic therapist get. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, rubber band. And I started snapping my wrists for corrections when I realized I was doing something that I wanted to change about myself. Just a little snap.

[Jamie Lang]

And it worked.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it trains you. So the pain sens, pain sensors in your body negate it to a negative. Give you a negative representation of that thought or the thing that you did and it autocorrects your system. It's really quite fascinating. I mean, it worked for me. They're not going to work for everybody else. Although they might not be snapping at the right time.

[Jamie Lang]

There you go.

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[Simply Nootropics Voiceover]

Buying a car in Carvana was so easy, I was able to finance it. Through them I just. Whoa, wait, you mean finance? Yeah, Finance got pre qualified for a Carvana auto loan, entered my terms and shot from thousands of great car options, all within my budget.

[Dax Shepard]

That's cool.

[Simply Nootropics Voiceover]

That financing through Carvana was so easy. Financed, done. And I get to pick up my car from their Carvana venue machine tomorrow. Financed, right?

[Dax Shepard]

That's what I said.

[Simply Nootropics Voiceover]

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[Jamie Lang]

I heard that you got into acting, you broke your nose and someone. And the nurse or someone says this, right?

[Dax Shepard]

No, that's two stories combined.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, I'm just combining two. Here we go.

[Dax Shepard]

You're combining two. I've spent a lot of time in hospitals is basically what we're getting at. I was 15.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And my intestines are twisted. And I was hospitalized for two and a half months. It was, it was a lot. So we had surgery. I had an internal bleeding. I lost 50% of my blood. I was on my deathbed. It was, it was.

[Jamie Lang]

You remember it?

[Dax Shepard]

I was in and out of consciousness. And so I have visions and I don't want to get too specific about all that stuff, but I just remember seeing my father, the weakest I'd ever seen him. And a priest at the end of my bed. And they're talking about last rites and all that stuff. And they gave me a blood transfusion to save my life. My nurse did and saved my life. But regardless, you're in there for two and a half months and you know, my organs shut down because you have blood all coagulated around them and they got to wait till everything. So anyway, I had to have a second surgery to clean everything up. That being said, my other nurse was a model. That's every 15 year old boy's dream. Oh yeah, it's true.

[Jamie Lang]

It's true, true. It's true. Don't worry.

[Dax Shepard]

That's all you could think about at 15. You're like, well, I'm going to get a girlfriend. And now, boom, you got a, a model nurse. Her name was Alana. And she said, still remember, I love it. I do. And Sandy, the other nurse who saved my life, I remember both of their names. And Alana says to me, she says, oh gosh, you should model. And I was like, I don't want to model. I want to be an actor. Like, I love film and television. Like, I want to, I want to give this gift to other people. And she's like, well, you can segue. You can segue from modeling into acting. She said, look, when you get out of here, I'm hooking you up with this modeling company. I know. And she meant it. And so I got out. I was like, I went from like 180 to 118 pounds, was a skeleton. When I got. It was the scariest thing ever.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Remember looking in the mirror the first time going, who is that? I didn't. I like, I cried. I couldn't believe that I was looking back at that guy just quickly.

[Jamie Lang]

At 15 years old, what does that teach you even though you're young?

[Dax Shepard]

I started my relationship with God.

[Jamie Lang]

Wow, amazing.

[Dax Shepard]

And my relationship with my father became really close because my dad, raising five kids on his own, came to the hospital every single day and he spent multiple, multiple countless nights with me when he has four more kids at home. And so he would have our nanny come by and she'd spend the nights with the kids sometimes if he knew I was really struggling. But he would go home, he'd put dinner on the table, he'd work with the kids on their homework. Then he'd come back to see me again. And he had a full time job as an air traffic controller. Like, the man is tough as nails. And he did that for us. And so I'm overly, like beyond grateful. And that's when our relationship really bonded. So that's what I got out of it. Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And so then you saw yourself and then you went into modeling.

[Dax Shepard]

Say the once I gained some weight back and she walked me in and I got the, I got, I went in there and they, we didn't have a lot of money and so they paid my way to go to a convention in Orlando. And I find out that there's this acting competition, like a minute before they're about to go on, I'm like, why did no one tell me about this? They're like, well, we Thought you were doing modeling. I was like, no, this is the only reason I want to be here. So I wrote this commercial in two seconds for toothpaste.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I saw this girl, she was a young model. I was like, hey, do this commercial with me real quick. And she's like, yeah, sure. All we got to do is kiss, which is.

[Jamie Lang]

It's a.

[Dax Shepard]

There was no side motivation.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, yeah, I get it, man. I get it.

[Dax Shepard]

It worked out really well.

[Jamie Lang]

Look, we just got a kiss in this. That's it. That's it. It's easy.

[Dax Shepard]

No, actually, there was no side motivation, but it worked out. And do the commercial, wing it in front of the crowd, and done. So the last day is your callback day where they. A bunch of different companies, they. They check a box. I want to see this person. And there's, like, 90 tables, and, like, 89 of them gave me a check mark, except for the acting guy. And I was like, okay, screw this. I skipped every table, went straight to his and sat down. His name was Eddie Winkler. I'm like, okay, you're the only table that I wanted. What? What happened?

[Jamie Lang]

Confidence, man. I love it.

[Dax Shepard]

And he goes, I just thought everyone checked the box and you were just. So I just figured you were off to Milan or something. I just never thought you'd want to come over here. I was like, no, this is the only thing I want to do. I want to be an actor. So he gave me the shot and he's like, dude, come out to la. You can stay on my couch. We'll take a meeting. You can meet with. It was Gold Marshak, like, at the time, gave me some sides. I did an audition in front of Bonnie Likey, and she became my agent. And races. Yeah. Graduated high school. My dad said, you got to graduate first. I graduated high school, jumped in the car, drove to la. Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Let's go, man.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Really, really blessed.

[Jamie Lang]

It's. It's like, also when it's that naive and that. I spoke to someone yesterday, right? Big comedian here in the uk, and she said the best piece of advice she got is that her agent said at the very beginning, this is the most exciting time. This is the time when you're like, when you're this.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

It's always the most exciting because anything is possible. And it's. It's just like getting in the car and driving to LA and being like, here we go. Like, that is, like, the greatest feeling ever and terrifying.

[Dax Shepard]

But, yeah, I was too young and ignorant and whatever to really think everyone's like that's really brave. I was like, I just got, what are you talking about? That's what I wanted to go do. I didn't, I didn't think about it any other way. The only thing I was deathly afraid of was LA traffic. Yeah, it takes like, you know, a month or two to get accustomed to that.

[Jamie Lang]

So your co star Jamie Lee Curtis has said that Freaky Friday was her career highlight.

[Dax Shepard]

Really?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, that's what she says.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow, that's awesome. I mean she's so good in it. She's so, she's so damn good in it. And she's even better in this one. And to take, I don't know, she's just so free, she's so free to just let loose and go. And we played so much and I love that about like our relationship. I love working with her. It's great.

[Jamie Lang]

What's your career highlight? Apart from the movie now?

[Dax Shepard]

I haven't had it yet. It'll come, it'll come. I, I, it's, what's funny is I feel like I'm just starting.

[Jamie Lang]

That is the best way to be.

[Dax Shepard]

I feel like it's the tip of the iceberg. What I find fascinating one is the self evolution, right? We evolve as human beings every single day. My kids and my wife were the best thing that ever happened to me. And that's when I finally started living. All the rest of it just felt so pre programmed. Even though all these things kept happening, they all happened. And I, I do believe in fate and I was in the right place, in the right time. And I do believe I had guardian angels and God and everyone pushing me in this direction. Somewhere along the line I forgot why I was doing it. And then I remembered why I was doing this. And since then it's been the full evolution of where I want to go, what I want to do, why I want to do it.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And now it's, you're doing it for a family and kids.

[Jamie Lang]

So you have that North Star, you have that reason.

[Dax Shepard]

It's the greatest thing in the world. But it's still not everything. To me the everything is my faith and family. That's it, right? So I have that, this, I love it and I love it with pure passion. I love it with my heart. I love going to work, I love telling the kids, guys, I get to go to work today, that's the greatest thing. But because it's a lesson for them that they can carry so that whatever they do, no matter what you're doing, just take pride in Your work. Take pride in your work. You get to go to work today, Not I have to go to work today, and things like that. And that's why it feels like the tip of the iceberg is because for the first time in my life, I. I just don't care about the other stuff. I'm like, the only ones that need to approve me for me are my kids, my wife. So let's. Let's just go have some fun, make some crazy choices and. And just enjoy the journey, enjoy the moments.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, man. Someone said to me once, which I use all the whole time. You know when kids are running, like, those races at school?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

The ones who are looking left and right are the ones who lose. The ones who look straight ahead are the ones that win.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Never worry about. Just focus on what you're doing.

[Dax Shepard]

You know how hard that is to teach kids? By the way, I coach a lot of kids.

[Jamie Lang]

You do.

[Dax Shepard]

You're like, guys, stop looking over your shoulder. Just go, go. Even my son, I'm like, dude, trust me. But he's finally gotten there. He's finally gotten there. And all of a sudden, flying. But they're always looking.

[Jamie Lang]

Last question. Best advice anyone's ever given you.

[Dax Shepard]

You don't want. And this is terrible. You don't want. And I've got so much good advice in my life that I could pull from, but there was one that really hit me, and it affected me in a core way, and it just had to do with being a human being. And it was that nobody wants. He was an written on their gravestone. And if you think about that, you really put that in your head. You don't want to be the guy driving down the street having road rage where even one person knew who you were and was like, he was an. You know, that's, that's, that's, that's. And that can change your choices in your day. So that was it.

[Jamie Lang]

Chad. I can't wait for everyone to see this movie. You're the greatest, man.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, dude.

[Jamie Lang]

Been a big fan of you for many years.

[Dax Shepard]

Appreciate you, brother. And we're matching.

[Jamie Lang]

And we're matching.

[Dax Shepard]

We got the memo.

[Jamie Lang]

We're matching. Dude. I really appreciate, man. Thanks so much.

[Dax Shepard]

Thanks for having me, brother.

[Jamie Lang]

Man, you're brilliant. Thanks so much. Thanks, guys. That was amazing.

[Dax Shepard]

Teamwork.

[Jamie Lang]

Teamwork. Dude, that was the best.

[Jemima]

Wow.

[Jamie Lang]

Oh. Can you feel like he sounds good looking? He is good looking. His hair. My God, his hair looks like a sort of lego wig. I know, but, like, flowing one.

[Jemima]

Speaking of which, if you are Listening to this. Go and look at him on YouTube. Yeah, go and look in our episode. Don't go watch anyone else's channel. Go and check our episode, please.

[Jamie Lang]

Go and look at that one. He's a real dish.

[Jemima]

A real dish.

[Jamie Lang]

Do you fancy him? Do you think he's hot?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Is he not?

[Jemima]

Not for me.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, not for you.

[Jemima]

Not for me.

[Jamie Lang]

You're more like, I like someone a.

[Jemima]

Little bit uglier too good looking.

[Jamie Lang]

So whose face do you like? Give it to me. Like, whose face is out there that you're like, I like that.

[Jemima]

I don't know. So at the weekend, Jamie and I were in wilderness and Sam Claflin was there.

[Jamie Lang]

Yes.

[Jemima]

Another very good looking man. But again I was like, it's too good looking. I like a big nose.

[Jamie Lang]

Got you.

[Jemima]

Or just some sort of weird facial.

[Jamie Lang]

So you like who won the Oscar for the Brutalist and also the Pianist?

[Jemima]

Oh, oh, I'll tell you who.

[Jamie Lang]

Adrian.

[Jemima]

No. Adam Driver. Adam Dry a bit more of me.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, I get.

[Jemima]

Do you know what I mean?

[Jamie Lang]

I get your drift. I get your drift.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Well, listener, I hope you are a fan of Chad Michael Myers, but we.

[Jemima]

Can still appreciate he is a horrendously good looking man.

[Jamie Lang]

And we also hope you enjoyed this little special episode of Great Company. As always, get in touch with us. Let us know what you think of the show, what guests you want us to have on next because we as a community want to know what you think. If you haven't subscribed already, please do. And also get in touch at greatcompany podcast on Instagram or greatcompanyproproductions.co.uk and we'll see you next week on Wednesday for another episode of Great Company.

[Simply Nootropics Voiceover]

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[Kristen Bell]

Hello, I'm Katherine Ryan and this is Right Me, Dirty the podcast where two comedians write steamy, ridiculous erotica about each other. I give them a bizarre prompt, think apocalypse must include a zombie, and they read their spicy stories aloud while I judge them on sexiness, funniness, and sheer chaos. It's hilarious, awkward, and occasionally kinda hot. Write Me Dirty Thursdays just got thirstier.

[Dax Shepard]

Write me Dirty.